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‘We never imagined we might not survive’

A new memorial marks the covert deeds carried out on enemy beaches by the ‘COPP Heroes’

Ali Kefford

October 20 2012, 1:01am, The Times

The memorial to the ‘COPP Heroes’ was unveiled on Hayling Island

A memorial has been unveiled honouring a little known Second World War special forces unit which played a crucial role in the run-up to D-Day.

The Chief of Defence Staff General Sir David Richards and the Commandant General Royal Marines Major General Ed Davis both attended the ceremony on Hayling Island, in Hampshire, as did Countess Mountbatten of Burma.

The Combined Operations Pilotage Parties — known as the “COPP Heroes” — were formed 70 years ago to covertly reconnoitre enemy-occupied beaches before an Allied invasion was launched.

They comprised just 200 Royal Navy and Army commandos yet the men won more than 90 bravery medals and commendations between them within three years.

Only nine veterans are alive, seven of whom attended a seafront service held…